Grain-elevator.



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GRAIN ELE VVVV R.

g n o M u d e a s h e e t s s h e e t l.

l "E Y Gttowmd Ni NORRS PETERS OO PNTO LIHD WASHINGTON, Dv C l PatentedSept. 9, |902'. W. M. MGCAMMON C. A. LEE.

GRAIN ELEVATOR. (Application filed Apr. 15, 1902.1

No Model.)

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' Patented'Sept. 9, |902, w. M. MccAMMuNl & c. A. LEE.

GRAIN ELEVATOB. (Application led Apr. 15, 1902.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT GEETCE.

VILLIAM M. MCCAMMON AND CHARLES A. LEE,'OF FORMOSO, KANSAS.

GRAIN-ELEVATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 708,576, datedSeptember 9, 1902.

Application lled April 15| 1902- Serial No. 103,029. (No model.)

Be it known that we, WILLIAM M. MCCAM- MoN and CHARLES A. LEE, citizensof the United States, residing at Formoso, in The county of Jewell andState of Kansas,have invented certain new and useful Improvements inGrain-Elevators; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to grain-elevators, the same comprising means fordumping the grainfrom wagons into a suitable receptacle or bin, meansfor tilting the bin so as to discharge the grain into an elevatorproper, and an elevator adapted to receive the grain from the bin andconvey the same to the point of discharge.

The invention has for its object to provide, in connection with a raisedplatform having suitable approaches, a tilting platform-section combinedwith tripping mechanism for the purpose of giving the necessaryinclination to the bottom or {ioor of the vehicle to effect a readydischarge of the grain into the bin. The platform also Vcomprises ahinged section forming a cover for a bin, so as to enable wagons to be,driven over the bin and properly positioned for discharging grain intothe bin. The bin has combined therewith means for tilting the same andfor regulating and cutting oif the flow of grain from the bin, thusenabling the grain to be fed into the elevator in the proper quantityand avoiding consequent clogging or choking of the clcva tor mechanism.

With the above general objects in view the invention consists inthenovel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, ashereinafter fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a perspective view of theimproved grain-elevator, showing the platform with its approaches, theelevator proper, and the bintilting windlass, duc. Fig. 2 is a verticallongitudinal section through the platform and bin, indicating by dottedlines the depressed position of the bars or rails which supportthewagon-wheels. i Fig. 3 is a vertical crosssection taken adjacent tothe rock-shaft and trip-lever, showing the relation of said shaft to thedepressible wheel-supporting bars or rails, said rails being shownelevated in full lines and depressed in dotted lines. Fig. is a verticalsection taken longitudinally of the tilting bin and illustrating thecut-off, the

windlass, and the connection between the windlass and tilting bin, saidview also showingin section the lower portion of the ele vator proper.Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal section through the elevator proper.Fig. 6 is a detail side elevation of the upper portion of the elevatorproper, showing the chain adjustment. Fig. '7.is a detail perspectiveview of one end of the platform and a portion of the elevator proper,showing the driving mechanism for the elevator.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts inlallfigures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, l designates the framework of a suitableplatform, which is shown to comprise longitudinal base-timbers 2 andfloor-timbers 3, connected with each other by vertical posts 4 andinclined braces 5 and also connected by cross-bars 6 and '7, arranged,respectively, at the base and top of the platform. The platform-frame iscovered at the top by a flooring S to enable a wagon and team to bedriven thereover, suitable approaches or inclines 8 being arranged atopposite ends of the platform to enable a team to mount the platform.

Between the upper longitudinal timbers 3 are arranged sets ofintermediate and parallel longitudinal hars 9, and between the bars 9are arranged a pair of depressible bars or rails 10, running lengthwiseof the platform and having their upper surfaces exposed through openings11, formed in the floor S. The bars or rails 10 are pivotally mountedupon a shaft 12, which extends transversely across the platform-frameaud beneath the bars 9, said shaft being supported by suitable hangersor bearings 13, while the rails l0 are provided with bearings or straps14, which embrace the shaft 12 and hold the rails in proper position onthe shaft. At one end a section l5 of the flooring S is fastened uponthe rails l0, so as to tilt 'simultaneously with the rails. The rearwheels of the wagon rest directly on the rails l0, while the frontwheels ICO may rest either upon said rails or upon the tilting section15 of the floor, according to the size of the platform and the length ofthe Wagon.

Located beneath the depressible rails 10 is a combined trip-leveraudrock-shaft 16, which extends transversely across the frame and isjonrnaled in suitable bearings mounted thereon. At one end therock-shaft is provided with a lever 17, which may be operated at oneside of the platform and which when thrown upward is adapted to beenga-ged by the keeper 18 for holding the lever in that position.Intermediate its ends the 'shaft 16 is provided with cranks or offsets19, which are located in vertical alinement with the rails 10, so as tooperate directly on the end portions of the rails for the purpose ofraising the rails and restoring the tilting platform-section to itsnormal horizontal position. When the rock-shaft is tripped and the lever17 moved downward, the rails 10 under the weight of the wagon also movedownward, but are limited in their downward movement bythe cranks orosets 19,in which the end portions of the wheel-supporting rails rest,as indicated in dotted lines in the drawings. When the lever 17 standsupright and is in engagement with the keeper 18, the cranks 19 standvertical and form effective supports for the rails 10.

Located just beyond the extremities of the Wheel-supporting rails andbeneath the platform-flooring is a tilting bin 20, comprising a bottom21, sides 22, and end wall 23, the opposite end of the bin being leftopen, as shown, while the edges of the sides are inclined and alsochamfered, as shown at 24, t-he edge of the bottom 21 being also beveledor chamfered to give a ready egress to the grain. The tilting bin isarranged in a binchamber which has both its sides, bottom, and dischargeend closed by a lining 25, which serves to prevent the escape of grainwhen deposited in the bin. The lining 25 forms one end of thebin-chamber and is provided with a discharge-opening 26, the saidopening being controlled by a sliding cut-off or gate 27, which ismovable within guiding strips or cleats 28. By means of the cut-off theflow of grain from the bin may be controlled and regulated. The closedor rearend of the bin is adapted to be raised and lowered by means of awindlass 29, mounted on the platform and having connected therewithropes or cables 30, which pass over guide-pulleys 31 within thebin-chamber and downward on the sides of the bin, where they connectwith the bin at points near the bottom of the latter. It will be seenthat by operating the windlass, which is provided with a suitable crankfor that purpose, the rear end of the bin may be raised and lowered, soas to give the proper inclination to the bottom of the bin to enable thelatter to discharge the grain into a suitable elevator 32, which isconnected to the platform at the discharge end of the bin by means ofsuitable brackets 33, fastened to the-platform-frame and projectingoutward from the frame sufficiently to receive a shaft 34 at the inneror lower end of the elevator.

The elevator comprises a frame consisting of sides 35, bottom 36, andtop 37. Between the top and bottom is arranged an intermediatelongitudinal partition 38, upon opposite sides of which are arranged aseries of buckets 39, connected with chains 40, which run aroundsprocket-wheels 41 on shafts 34 and 42 at opposite ends of the elevator,the said buckets being adapted to receive the grain as it is dischargedfrom the bin and carry the same upward and discharge it from a suitablespout 43 at the upper end of the elevator. The upper end of the elevatoris rounded and closed by a curved end wall 44, while the lower end ofthe elevator is also curved and is closed when in operation by acurvedend door 45, hinged at 46 to the elevator-frame and held closed by meansof a latch or button 47. The door 45 gives access to the bottom of theelevator for cleaning the same.

The elevator is driven by means of a sprocket-chain 48, which passesaround a sprocket-wheel 49 on the outer elevator-shaft 42 and aroundanother sprocket-wheel 50 on the short shaft 51, journaled on theplatformframe and connected by beveled gears 52 with a counter-shaft 53,extending along one end of the platform-frame, the last-named shaftbeing adapted to be driven by any suitable motor. The upper shaft 42 ofthe elevator extends through slots in the sides 35 of the elevator-frameand is journaled in a pair of plates or castings 54, arranged atopposite sides of the elevator and slotted to receive securing bolts orscrews 55, by means of which the plates or castings 54 may be adjustedlengthwise of the elevator for taking up slack in the chains locatedwithin and upon the outside of the elevator. A hinged cover 56 isconnected with the platform and arranged to extend over the entire topof the tilting bin and bin-chamber. The cover 56 constitutes a sectionor portion of the platform-flooring 8, being flush therewith whenclosed, so that teams and wagons may be driven directly over the binuntil the wagon rests on the tilting section of the platform, whereuponthe hinged cover 56 is thrown open, so that the grain in the wagon maybe dumped directly into the bin.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that wagons containinggrain or other material may be driven upon the platform until the wheelsrest on the depressible rails 10. The bin-cover may then be thrown openand the trip-lever and rock-shaft operated, so as to release thewheel-supporting rails, which has the effect of dropping the rear wheelsofthe wagon and inclining the wagoniioor, so that the grain willdischarge readily into the bin. The bin is then tilted by the mechanismdescribed,which causes the grain to be discharged into the lower end ofthe ele- IOO vater, the rapidity of discharge being Icontrolled by theeut-off. The elevator receives the grain and carries the same upward tothe point of discharge. The elevator may of course be made in anysuitable length,accord ing to the distance the grain is to be carried orelevated.

Ve do not desire to be limited to the details of construction andarrangement hereinabove described, and accordingly reserve the right tochange, modify, or vary the construction Within the scope of theappended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a graine1evator,the combination with the elevator proper, and araised platform to which the elevator is connected, of a bin-holdingchamber arranged beneath the top of the platform, a hinged cover for thebin, a tilting bin located within said chamber and means for elevatingone end of the bin through the top of the bin-chamber so as to dischargeinto the elevator, substantially as described.

2. In agrain-elevator, the combination with the elevator proper, and araised platform to which the elevator is connected, of a tilting binarranged beneath the top of the platform, means for raising and loweringone end of the bin, and a eut-od at the discharge end of the bin forregulating the iiow of grain from the bin to the elevator,substantiallyas described.

3. In a grain-elevator,the combination with a raised platform and theelevator proper connected therewith, of a tilting bin located below thetop of lthe platform and in line with the elevator, a cut-off atthedischarge end of the bin, and a windlass and connections for raising andlowering one end of the tilting bin, 'substantially as described.

In testimony whereof We afx our signatures in presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM M. MCGAMMON. CHARLES A. LEE.

Witnesses:

RALDo HALE, M. Il. BURNI-IAM.

